Clark suffered a heart attack in 2001 and was undergoing a follow-up stress test at Sparrow last fall. Medical technicians noticed an accelerated heart rate and within hours he was undergoing an emergency heart catheterization. Three arteries to his heart were found almost fully blocked; he had triple bypass surgery the next morning. He praises his surgeon, Ara Pridjian, M.D., and cardiologist, James Schafer, M.D., along with the rest of mid-Michigan’s leading heart team, now at Sparrow. “They caught it before I had a second heart attack and basically saved my life,” Chris says.

Knowing he had the best doctors and nurses comforted him as he tackled the intense recovery process. “My focus was on how I can’t let this stop me now. I’ve got things to do and to take care of,” Chris says. “I just had the most wonderful care. I couldn’t have asked for any better. It was absolutely phenomenal.”

Clark has fully embraced his cardiac rehabilitation program, working out regularly under the guidance of Sparrow’s trained exercise physiologists and specialists. The exercise regime has led him to decide to run a 5k race and to even consider a mini-triathlon in the future. “I find my motivation when I look in my wife and daughter’s eyes,” he says. “That’s all I need to see.”

In fact, he says he was most impressed by Sparrow’s total commitment to also caring for his wife and daughter and keeping them fully informed on his surgery and recovery. “They were there to make sure we got the best of what was needed. They’re a phenomenal group of caregivers.”